BMW M-Series Boosted by Hexcel Reinforced Carbon-fibre Roof

11 December 2009

HexForce NC2 reinforcements have been selected by BMW for the inner structural layer of the carbon-fibre roof of its M-series cars.

Hexcel say that their patented NC2 technology enables flat carbon-fibre multiaxial reinforcements to be produced, which are also lightweight and provide more uniform coverage than conventional Non-Crimp Fabrics (NCF). This can be a major advantage when producing thin composite structures requiring a cosmetic appearance.

HexForce NC2 is Hexcel’s non crimp technology that provides strength and stiffness where required, taking advantage of the use of unidirectional tapes that are joined by a novel stitching technology. NC2 allows great flexibility of fibre orientation with unmatched widths (up to 2500 mm) and width adjustment capabilities.

In addition to NC2, Hexcel HexForce PrimeTex 3K spread fabrics were used for the outer skin of the carbon-fibre roof.

“Hexcel is proud to continue supplying the M-series year after year,” says Claude Despierres, Industry Sales & Marketing Manager Europe. “We are committed to developing innovative sustainable and industrial composite solutions for demanding markets such as the automotive industry.

“Our entire product range - from HexTow carbon fibres and Redux adhesives, to HexWeb honeycomb and HexPly prepregs – has been qualified over the years for renowned high performance car programmes.

“We have been able to adapt our product range in line with the evolution in design engineering, processing and cost constraints. We are now eager to face the next challenging steps and to help high performance composites break through into larger volume models,” concludes Despierres.

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